The EMPACT (European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats) policy cycle is a security initiative driven by the Member States, and supported by the Commission and Council, to identify, prioritise and address threats posed by organised and serious international crime. EMPACT brings together a broad range of multidisciplinary professionals to take concrete actions against criminal networks. Participants include law enforcement authorities, the judiciary, EU agencies, customs and tax offices.

Eurojust casework and EMPACT priorities

The overwhelming majority of Eurojust casework covers crime types included in one or more EMPACT priorities. The chart below shows that 81% of Eurojust cases registered in 2021 covered crime areas falling into a 2022-2025 EMPACT priority. While not all these cases are tackled in specific EMPACT actions, the Agency’s commitment and ongoing efforts to support the fight against the crime priorities identified are clear.

Setting up participation in the next policy cycle

In 2021, Eurojust worked with national authorities and Europol to prepare the agency contribution to the 2022-2025 EMPACT cycle, ensuring that the judicial dimension is fully represented in EMPACT operational actions (OAs). Eurojust contributed to the EU SOCTA 2021 and participated in planning for operational actions for the upcoming cycle.

From 2022, Eurojust will be taking the lead in the OA, focusing on Missing Trader Intra-Community Fraud (MTIC). In addition, Eurojust co-leads several OAs in the following EMPACT priorities: High-risk criminal networks, Cyberattacks, Trafficking in Human Beings and Migrant Smuggling.

Eurojust will also continue to support EMPACT joint action days planned for 2022 to make sure that the judiciary can play a role where needed.

Communication campaign ‘Prosecuting with EMPACT’

At the end of 2020, the Council tasked Eurojust and the EJN, with Europol’s assistance, to deliver a communication campaign specifically addressing national judicial actors to raise awareness of the EU Policy Cycle/EMPACT and emphasise possible synergies/cooperation areas and examples of cooperation between law enforcement and prosecutors. This campaign, under the title ‘Prosecuting with EMPACT’, reached hundreds of prosecutors in the European Union.

Eurojust National Members participated in and organised several events, during which they informed the judiciary from their countries about EMPACT and the possibilities for participation. Eurojust prepared a standard communication package to support these events and published EMPACT-related information on the Eurojust website. Further actions included a presentation to the Eurojust College in June, and in the 57th plenary meeting of the European Judicial Network in October 2021.

On 8 September 2021, Eurojust hosted a webinar with the title ‘Prosecuting with EMPACT’. Four presenters from Eurojust, Europol and the European Commission took the floor to show various aspects of EMPACT and possibilities for prosecutors to work with the framework, including a specific Eurojust EMPACT case and the future plans for EMPACT.

Overall, the campaign reached hundreds of prosecutors and judicial experts within a short period and laid the foundation for their informed participation in the next policy cycle.

Successful taking down of criminal network committing high-volume cargo thefts from lorries – an EMPACT case solved with Eurojust support

Crime: A fast and highly mobile OCG performed large-scale cargo thefts from lorries carrying high-end luxury products parked in motorway rest areas in Germany and France. Goods with an estimated combined value of EUR 1.3 million were stolen, transported to Romania and sold via illegal trading circuits.

Action: On an action day in November 2021, 34 suspects were charged and 57 places searched in Romania and Germany.

Result: The OCG was dismantled and its actions stopped.

Eurojust's role: At the request of the Romanian authorities, Eurojust started the coordination of the cooperation with Germany and France. A JIT was set up with support from Eurojust, and coordination meetings were held to discuss prosecution strategies and prepare for the action day. On the action day, a coordination centre was set up. Eurojust facilitated the execution of 12 EAWs.